The name of the new hydrogen high-speed bus from the French city of Pau is pretty much the opposite of its simple design: ExquiCity18 Fuel Cell is on the nameplate. The futuristic-looking bus is designed to take public transport in Pau to a new level with the world's first hydrogen express bus system. Eight examples of the vehicle, the design of which is more reminiscent of a tram, are now being used on a new, pure hydrogen express bus line.
85 percent of the six-kilometer route between the train station in the south of the city and a hospital in the north is in a protected lane, and the buses have priority at all intersections. This should enable the hydrogen buses to cover the route in just 17 minutes even at peak times.
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Photo gallery: Paus new hydrogen busThe buses are built by the Belgian manufacturer Van Hool, the fuel cells are supplied by the Canadian company Ballard. The 18 meter long articulated buses can accommodate up to 125 passengers, with one tank of fuel a bus can travel over 300 kilometers. According to the city administration, the new bus line consumes 174 kilograms of hydrogen. To ensure that the buses, which only emit water vapor but do not only run locally without emissions, the necessary hydrogen is generated using renewable energies.
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For this purpose, a separate, solar-powered hydrogen filling station was built in the depot, where the buses are to be refueled overnight.